"Dear friends, be glad! Do not be afraid of being joyful!" -Pope Francis, from The Joy of Discipleship

Near the end of Luke's Gospel, two disciples slowly make their way home from Jerusalem to the village of Emmaus. At the outset, they are deeply saddened by Jesus' tragic death. By that evening, however, they have made a 180-degree turn: from dejected disciples to followers filled with joy-a joy they simply must share with others as fast as they can. What accounts for this change? They have encountered the risen Christ!

In The Joy of Discipleship, Pope Francis reminds us that joy should be one of the defining characteristics of any person who has truly encountered Jesus. This collection of homilies, speeches, and other documents from Pope Francis, compiled and edited by James P. Campbell, offers a fresh perspective on why Christian disciples should be so joyful in the first place and how that joy might manifest itself in our individual daily lives. Covering a broad range of themes-Christ's Resurrection, mercy, wealth and poverty, the Christian family, and more-The Joy of Discipleship moves us to meditate on Christ and then inspires us to move out from our own four walls, jubilantly proclaiming God's transforming love in word and deed.

For anyone who wants an active, abiding, authentic love for Jesus Christ, for the Church, and for the people of this world-The Joy of Discipleship tries to point the way.